RECOFI

SUMMARY INFORMATION

Establishment

1999 Agreement for the Establishment of the Regional Commission for Fisheries
Approved by the FAO Council, Rome, 11 November 1999
Entered into force 26 February 2001

Membership
As of 31 Jan 2005

Iran, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
(Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait also participate but have not accepted the 1999 Agreement)

Geographical scope

The area of competence of the Commission is delineated as follows: from Ras Dhabat Ali in (16° 39’N, 53° 3’30"E) then to a position in (16° 00’N, 53° 25’E) then to a position in (17° 00’N, 56° 30’E) then to a position in (20° 30’N, 60° 00’E) then to Ras Al-Fasteh in (25° 04’N, 61° 25’E).

Material scope

The Commission covers all living marine resources in the Agreement Area, as well as to aquaculture.

Main objectives

The main objective of the Agreement is the establishment of a regional fisheries commission, with the aim of promoting the development, conservation, rational management and best utilization of living marine resources, as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Agreement Area.

DESCRIPTION

The Agreement for the Establishment of the Regional Commission for Fisheries was drafted in order to establish an organization to replace the Committee for the Development and Management of the Fisheries Resources of the Gulfs (the so-called "Gulfs Committee"), which was a subsidiary of the (now-abolished) Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (IOFC). RECOFI is an Article XIV body under the FAO Constitution. The 1999 Agreement entered into force in February 2001.

Membership

Membership in RECOFI shall be open to Members and Associate Members of FAO (and non-member States of FAO which are Members of the UN or its specialized agencies) that are coastal States or Associate Members which have territories situated wholly or partly within the Commission's area of competence. The coastal States in the Commission's area of competence are: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates.

Structure

RECOFI is composed of a Commission plus any temporary, special or standing committees which the Commission may choose to establish to study and report on matters pertaining to its objectives and working groups to study and recommend on specific technical problems. The Commission is composed of one delegate from each party. Each member has one vote and decisions are generally taken by a majority vote. The seat of RECOFI is currently at the seat of the FAO Regional Office for the Near East in Cairo.

Functions

The main objectives of the Commission are to promote (1) the development, conservation, rational management and best utilization of living marine resources and (2) the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Area. To fulfil these objectives, the Commission is to:

to keep under review the state of these resources, including their abundance and the level of their exploitation, as well as the state of the fisheries;

to formulate and recommend appropriate measures for the conservation and rational management of living marine resources, subject to the precautionary approach, including measures:

	regulating fishing methods and fishing gear,
	prescribing the minimum size for individuals of specified species,
	establishing open and closed fishing seasons and areas,
	regulating the amount of total catch and of fishing effort and their allocation;

to keep under review the economic and social aspects of the fishing industry;

to encourage, recommend, coordinate and, as appropriate, undertake training and extension activities;

to encourage, recommend, coordinate and, as appropriate, undertake research and development activities, including cooperative projects in the areas of fisheries and the protection of living marine resources;

to assemble, publish or disseminate information regarding exploitable living marine resources and fisheries;

to promote programmes for aquaculture and fisheries enhancement; and

to carry out such other activities as may be necessary for RECOFI to achieve its purpose as defined above.

DOCUMENTS AND LINKS

Basic documents

Regulations, resolutions

Links

Reports

RECOFI page on FAO website

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